Be still, my heart! Okay, this is about the coolest thing I’ve heard of in a while. I received a message from Pangolin Crafts showing me some of the incredible products they have recently launched. They are dedicated to telling the stories of old while patronizing local artisans and sustainable materials. Each ornament is handcrafted by the mothers of HOME Plush Toys using indigenous weaves from ANTHILL Fabric Gallery. The hand-woven textiles are leftover scrap fabrics originally sourced from ANTHILL’s weaving community Mang-Abel Ti Abra in Buenged, Abra. Pangolin Crafts supports ANTHILL’s zero waste initiative by upcycling these scraps into new, meaningful pieces.
Two of my favourite pieces they have created are the PANIGOTLO from the Western Visayas, Aklan. It is the favored beast of the Aklanon god, Gamhanan. If it bleats before midnight during a full moon it means the next day will be fruitful and abundant. If the bleating is heard after midnight it is an omen that something bad will happen. The other is the TIGMAMANUKAN from Tagalog beliefs. It is a bird of omen, usually letting travelers know to expect good or bad luck.
You can order the above by visiting PANGOLIN CRAFTS on Facebook. Prices range from ₱560-₱850.
IP PEOPLE OF MINDANAO DOLLS:
Dolls are some of the oldest toys that children have ever played with. Their earliest use was documented in Greece around 100 AD. There’s good reason for these toys to be so long lasting through human history. They are a representation of the child themselves, and allow for a child to gain a greater understanding of themselves as well as those around them. Children are absorbing everything in their environment and are trying to make sense of the world. This is why it’s important to provide accurate and diverse dolls. Children are looking for dolls they can identify with and that accurately reflect their world. In 2014 HOME Plush Toys introduced Lumad, a Philippine Indigenous Dolls Collection. Lumad is the Visayan word for “native” or “indigenous.”
“Home celebrates the beautiful diversity of our Filipino culture. Discover the stories of our indigenous brothers and sisters through these beautiful dolls in their hands woven traditional wear.”
Handcrafters of Mary Enterprise (HOME) is an ANTHILL community sewing enterprise initiative comprised of hardworking mother artisans in Tisa and Gawad Kalinga Minglanilla, Cebu, Philippines. These mothers creatively design and put together colourful remnant fabrics to give life to a unique plush toy and work for sustainable livelihood.
You can order the HOME Plush Toys Lumad Collection online or through their Facebook Page. They also ship internationally!
ANTHILL Fabric Gallery:
What makes the above products so appealing is that they are using material from another incredible organization who has the following to say about their mission:
“Our ancestors considered our Philippine weaves our second skin. We find that compellingly beautiful. It is heart-woven to represent our story, our heritage and our way of life. We wear who we are. The presence of modernization and influx of cheap import substitutes led to the decline of this tradition. Weaving became an undervalued skill unattractive amongst the young because of its limited access to markets.
Our purpose is to celebrate our culture and preserve this living tradition by providing enabling environments that will support sustainable livelihood. At ANTHILL, we work to rethread the tapestry that connects us to the past, to our cultural identity as Filipinos. We seek to retain weaving as a way of life and to wear who we are — our story and heritage.”
I suppose this blog post ended up more like an ad, but I think these products are really incredible and I am shamelessly promoting them in hopes you will support initiatives like this that celebrate a positive cultural identity and promote sustainable and ethical livelihoods for the local populations.
Jordan Clark is a Canadian born descendant of Scottish immigrants living on the homelands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. His interest in Philippine myth and folklore began in 2004. Finding it difficult to track down resources on the topic, he founded The Aswang Project in 2006. Shortly after, he embarked on a 5 year journey, along with producing partner Cheryl Anne del Rosario, to make the 2011 feature length documentary THE ASWANG PHENOMENON – an exploration of the aswang myth and its effects on Philippine society. In 2015 he directed “The Creatures of Philippine Mythology” web-series, which features 3 folkloric beings from the Philippines – the TIKBALANG, KAPRE and BAKUNAWA. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Jordan recently oversaw the editing for the English language release of Ferdinand Blumentritt’s DICCIONARIO MITOLÓGICO DE FILIPINAS (Dictionary of Philippine Mythology) and is working on two more releases with fellow creators scheduled for release later this year. When his nose isn’t in a book, he spends time with his amazing Filipina wife of 20 years and their smart and wonderful teenaged daughter.
